The invention relates to an interchange connection between tracks for track-encompassing track-guided vehicles.
1. Prior Art
Track guide means permit safe and on-track guidance and support of vehicles, which can be joined together to form long trains. In railways and tramways, the track guide means of the vehicles (wheels) act from inside on the left and right track guide means of the track (rails) which are stationary and laid with a uniform spacing. The supporting function of the track acts from beneath on the tread of the wheels of the vehicle standing or travelling over the track guide means.
Since the track guide means of the vehicles do not positively encompass the track guide means of the track, the track guide means of the track can be given a slender construction. In the case of interchange connections (points with a crossing frog), therefore, there is also no need to increase the distance between parallel tracks.
If, on the other hand, the track guide means of the vehicles positively encompass the track guide means of the track, and the track provides support to the vehicles via the vehicle running or suspension frames, constructions of this kind are for example the Transrapid magnetic overhead railway and the M-line. In track changing means (points) in the said rail systems, therefore, the entire track guide means or parts thereof must be elastically curved, displaced or rotated.
Usually, in applications of rail systems to traffic, two tracks (tracks 1 and 2) are provided. In principle the tracks are laid parallel to one another with minimum spacing (dependent on speed). Interchange connections between the two tracks are obtained by providing two points, in which for example the track guide means are curved relative to one another and connected to one another either directly or via intermediate members. To provide the necessary clear space for the track-encompassing vehicles or the vehicle-encompassing track components, the prior art requires that the spacing between the two tracks must be increased in the zone of the interchange connection (see FIG. 5, which shows the free space in conventional interchange connections, where d denotes the centre-to-centre distance between tracks, reference number 10 denotes the vehicle boundary line, 12 denotes the clear space, 14 denotes the surface of intersection between the clear spaces of neighbouring lines, 16 denotes the surface of intersection between the vehicle boundary surfaces and 18 denotes the surface of intersection between the track elements).
In traffic systems with a long stator drive, i.e. where the active parts of the electric motor (moving-field guiding stators) are a component of the track, interchange places are preferably situated at the boundaries of drive and safety zones (the drive zone), so that even after a malfunction due to the drive or safety system, the track section in question can be bypassed. In the prior-art construction, e.g. a double interchange connection with four two-way points, track sections must be associated, for drive and safety purposes, with the defective zone which is to be bypassed. Complicated circuitry is needed before this bypass line can be used.
A prior art interchange connection is disclosed in DE 44 16 819 A1. This interchange connection prevents track components from obstructing the vehicle clear space, since those parts of the track between which there is no connection in the position of the points at any time, are elastically bent outwards away from the neighbouring track. This is done separately for all bendable parts of the track and with different kinematics, with the result that the interchange connection is complicated to operate.
2. Description of the Invention
The object of the invention therefore is to develop an interchange connection between tracks for track-encompassing track-guided vehicles which can be easily constructed and operated.
The interchange connection according to the invention can be subsequently installed in existing vehicles at low cost. There is no need to increase the spacing between pairs of tracks. The interchange connection is made such that the zone of the parallel track near the points is likewise constructed as points and moves out of the space for the movable track guide means and the clear space for the vehicle.
If the adjacent points carriers are adjusted by a common drive unit, the number of drive units per interchange connection can be reduced and so can the cost per interchange connection.
Other preferred exemplified embodiments are disclosed in this specification.
For example, according to one preferred feature of the invention, the interchange connection is constructed as a double interchange connection. This construction in the form of a double interchange connection enables a change to be made from the left to the right track or from the right to the left track.
In another preferred embodiment, the interchange connection comprises five or more movable track elements. The arrangement is of use both for making the track for the crossing and also for removing track zones which constitute an obstacle.
Preferably, one or more free positions of the interchange connection can be used for operating purposes, e.g. for connecting to a workshop, for flank protection or as a place for introducing vehicles into the stream of traffic.